Simmons Softball took three out of four games in this weekend's set of Great Northeast Athletic Conference doubleheaders. The Sharks went 1-1 against Emerson College on Saturday, winning game one 3-2, and dropping game two 8-0 in six innings.

The Sharks' bats came alive on Sunday en route to two conference wins against Albertus Magnus College on Sunday, winning game one 12-0 in five innings, and game two 12-3. First year Ashley Wheeler (Nashua, N.H.) led the charge with two grand slams, one in each game, and 9 RBIs on the day. Junior Sammi Letizio (Windham, N.H.) and sophomore transfer Courteney Collier (Bolton, Mass.) both pitched to propel the Sharks to their 3rd and 4th conference wins. Sharks belted 28 hits on the day and were error-less in the field.

The Sharks improve to 6-13 overall, 4-4 GNAC on the weekend.

Saturday April 4

Game One

It was a pitcher's dual from the start with both starting pitchers – Letizio for Simmons and Kelsey Tuthill for Emerson – striking out both sides of the first inning.

Emerson struck first with two runs in the top of the third inning. After striking out two, Letizio let up three hits in a row—a double by Bridget Farago, an RBI single by Brittany Martin and an RBI double by Sierra Wood. The Sharks got out of the inning after a grounder to third. After the third, Letizio would only give up one more hit for the rest of the game.

Simmons went to work in the bottom of the 4th. Sophomore Emily Nalband (Litchfield, Conn.) roped a long shot to left field that tipped off the left fielder's glove. Senior Sam Green (Bridgewater, Mass.) followed with a single that moved Nalband to third. That set up the heroics for clean-up hitter Leah Derderian (Boylston, Mass.) who belted a three run home run to dead center field. Those three runs proved to be enough as the Sharks held on to win 3-2.

Letizio pitched a strong game, striking out 11 and walking 1.

Game Two

Was a different story, as Emerson scored 8 runs and the game was called due to the run limit. Emerson freshman pitcher Sara Murray held the Sharks to only three hits and three base runners for the 6-inning game. Derderian, Meredith Burr (Londonderry, N.H.) and Nalband were the sole hitters for the Sharks.

Collier let up a single run in the second and another in the fourth, but Emerson broke it open in the top of the sixth, scoring 6 runners in the frame. Emerson scored three runs before making an out. After Collier gave up three hits and two walks, Letizio came in for relief with no outs and two runners on base. After getting two pop-fly outs, lead-off hitter Farago slammed a 3-run shot off of Letizio that sealed the deal for Emerson.

Sunday, April 5

Game One

The Sharks struck first in the top of the first, and that would be enough for the win. Simmons turned in eight runs on seven hits, including a grand slam by first year Wheeler. The Sharks scored two in the third inning and twice more in the 5th.

Wheeler had 5 RBIs. Amanda Gould (Fremont, N.H.), Green and Annie Thompson (Pacific Palisades, Calif.) all contributed two hits apiece. Letizio shut down the Falcons, striking out 12 out of the 15 outs in the 5-inning game. Letizio gave up just 3 singles through 5.
Game Two

Simmons scored one run in the top of the first, but the Falcons would hold the Sharks until they scored another in the fourth and then unleashed for five runs in the fifth, two in the sixth and three in the seventh.

Collier had a no-hitter going through 5 and 2/3rd innings before she walked two and let up a triple to Liz Piper, scoring two. Piper would score later, bringing the game to 9-3.

The Sharks came right back in the top of the seventh and tacked on 3 more runs to make it the eventual final score of 12-3.

Collier finished with 10 strikeouts, 3 walks and let up 3 hits. Burr was 3-5 with 2 doubles, an RBI single, and 3 runs. Derderian was 3-5 with two singles and a two-run home run.

Wheeler was dominant again in the second game after coming in to play third base in the bottom of the third. She was 3-3 with two doubles and a grand slam.

Kristen Souza (New Bedford, Mass.) was 3 for 4 with three singles, an RBI and a run scored.